휴가 [hyuga] means vacation. The next four days are holiday at my work. This is not Curt’s choice. As a small business owner struggling to make ends meet month-to-month, he would just as soon stay open – and parents, who rely on the “daycare” aspect of the hagwon biz (though they would deny it if phrased that way), mostly prefer an “always open” hagwon, too.
It is not Curt’s choice, however. The provincial government mandates this hagwon vacation, which, consequently, is the longest continuous closure for the whole year (5 whole days!!).
My coworkers seemed vaguely scandalized that I intended to do “nothing” with my vacation. Don’t you want to travel somewhere? they asked. No, I don’t.
Perhaps my three month cancer vacation last year permanently altered my psyche and goals, but travel of any kind is uninteresting to me, these days. Have I become an old man, prematurely? My students call me “할아버지” [harabeoji = grandfather], mostly behind my back.
I intend on just hanging out at my home, taking walks and reading books and, if attacked by ambition, writing.
Below is a picture of the sign from the KarmaPlus door announcing our vacation. [NOTE somehow this picture was never added, and is now lost to history]
[daily log: walking, 2.5 km]